Notes from Marg

Thursday, August 21, 2008 ;

1:34 PM

This picture has nothing to do with mashed potatoes; she's just so cute I decided to use her again! She's Carly Mix, granddaughter of my friendinCanada Virginia.

Anyway, I made fantastic mashed potatoes last night and decided to tell y'all exactly how to do it without making them fattening. It's possible! I discovered this years ago while trying to do a very-low-fat diet. They are so good I never quit making them this way.

Here in the South we like to leave the skins on. Adds fiber and vitamins. So I use red potatoes with thinner skins. Scrub them really well and cut into quarters. Boil just till tender and drain immediately, leaving some cooking water in the pan. (Maybe 2/3 cup for 8-10 red potatoes. You'll get better at eyeballing this as you try it several times. You can't go wrong; if they are too dry you can always add some skim milk.)

Now here's the secret ingredient: powdered milk! You just sprinkle some in and start beating with your electric beaters. Once you get the powdered milk and cooking water mixed in, add salt and fresh ground black pepper, maybe a TINY bit of margarine for flavor (or butter). Start tasting and adjust the seasoning. We add garlic powder and sometimes chives. The beauty is that you don't have to heat milk; the cooking water is boiling hot and the powdered milk adds flavor and NO FAT! And they are delicious! It's so fun to have mashed potatoes without guilt. My son and I decided last night they are in the top five comfort foods.

Labels: Recipe